How To Fix A Stuck Jeep Grand Cherokee HVAC Actuator Door

[@darrenreichel3533]

Yes this was my problem too. Used a tire iron to force it back down. Required a fair amount of force. I installed a long 2” screw through the plastic housing on the far upper right side under the lip to prevent the blend door from over travelling again. Great video. Thanks.

[@tinderboxarts]

That's an interesting idea for preventing over-travel. Will the thin plastic housing be strong enough to hold that screw in place? I'd be curious how you make out after some time has passed.

[@darrenreichel3533]

@@tinderboxarts The screw went in pretty solid. I used a #6 sheet metal screw. I pre drilled a small hole with my small Milwaukee angle drill which was pretty handy. You can feel where the flapper normally hits the seal so I drilled through the plastic at that point. When the screw is installed you can feel the flapper hit the screw first before the rubber seal gets all jammed up or stuck from the over travel. Flapper might not seal off 100% so its a little cooler when on max heating the passenger side but better than the alternative of jamming up.

[@tinderboxarts]

That's great. Definitely worth the trade off for a little less heat.

[@jeffclark5024]

I’ve done these a couple times before and I will say there is a function in the snap on scan tool I used that calibrates or learns the door positions. Doing this will help from the actuators trying to force the door past where it stops.

[@tinderboxarts]

From what I can gather, the system does learn the approximate position of the stops, however, there's more to it. The system does appear to try and re-calibrate itself occasionally, perhaps after X number of starts or some other factor. And, I believe the system is still using an increased amperage draw to help it determine where the full stops are located. In other words, when the actuator motor struggles for a period the system interprets that as the stop. So the calibration is to help the system figure out where to put the blend door in intermediate settings but the full stops are still found by increased electrical draw from the actuator. These assumptions of mine are just based on observation of the unit in action. It's really just a dumb design, and it makes me wish again for the cable actuated doors of the old days, which seemed to work forever!

[@davidgoss9971]

@@tinderboxarts. I forgot to ping you in my first comment.

[@zdub187]

Thank you for this video. I ran into this same issue and was trying to figure out how to get what I assumed to be a flapper valve to the correct side of the seal. You sir are a hero. My go to tool was an old school distributor wrench. The bend was perfect.

[@tinderboxarts]

I still have one of those old wrenches too! Glad it helped.

[@cmase1991]

Thank you so much! This is the exact problem I'm facing and none of the forums covered this in particular

[@neilhamilton1034]

Thanks for this. My dad's cherokee had this issue. The little bar was very helpful for freeing the door. Then I used an excellent idea from Alex The Mechanic video to avoid full heat sticking by adjusting the gear stop with a screw. Great results!

[@renegade7370]

OMG the crowbar hack you demonstrated saved my life. I fixed it but I also just left as is. If it happens again I know what to do so the process should be 1000% quicker, and only then will I explore a permanent fix to prevent over-travel.

[@bismafia]

Any tips on removing the airduct?

[@tinderboxarts]

The airduct can be split in two for easier removal. It just snaps together.

[@SteveB-y8h]

Thank you for this- I thought I was loosing my mind w/ the flap. One trick- I used the tire iron to move the flap back in place instead of a pry bar-

[@tinderboxarts]

Yes, that would be a very similar tool to use. Anything with long hook and some strength to it would work.

[@chriscadman5715]

Excellent video! Thanks for the tip on getting it unstuck. Nice work!

[@NYFynest23]

THANKS! cant wait to try it i was trying a screwdriver, my poor HAND, and other objects with force trying to push it down but with no avail. never did i think about a crowbar and ive been stuck on cold this winter. running out to the driveway to start this now!

[@tinderboxarts]

Good luck!

[@mikovelasq]

Having already replaced the driver side which is 10X more tedious, the passenger side was relatively easy, but that stuck damper was a real challenge. Thanks for the tips

[@williammegow8780]

How did free it up(unstick it)

[@Nemo31391]

Appreciate this because i was about to give up 😂 but it definitely worked now i have to figure out how to prevent it from getting stuck again and how to replace that rubber seal around the flap that opens.

[@tinderboxarts]

I'm glad the idea was helpful. I realize it can get stuck again, but at least you have a chance now.

[@josephocharles]

You should post some sort of a way to send some cash! I got into this tonight and after 2hrs thought i was done for as mine is locked likebtou said yours was. Very happy i found this video! You rock!

[@tinderboxarts]

Glad it was helpful!

[@123mjolie]

Absolutely the Best!!! Worked great. Thank you!!!

[@timgreen1811]

Thank you for the video. It’s been driving me nuts

[@timothykulawczyk5824]

Thank you for your video, it really saved the day !!! Again thanks!!! You mentioned about beefing up the actuator gear , could you give a detailed description of how to do that with epoxy or a screw???? I I am sure others could use that info!!! Again thank you for that great information!!!!!!!! If you have the time!!!!

[@tinderboxarts]

There are different types of plastic, but I found that the plumbing glue intended for ABS (black) pipe is compatible with the type of plastic they use for these components. However, I didn't beef up the gear, I beefed up the actuator itself. I found that the ears where the mounting screws go through are pretty flimsy and they can crack under the strain. That leads to movement of the whole actuator in use, which confuses the computer and may cause binding. All I did was find a small stainless washer for each ear, and used the ABS plumbing glue to both hold the washer in place and add additional bulk to the ears. The glue sets up pretty quickly, but I gave it an hour to cure.

[@robertokristen8316]

Thank you for video, what shall i do if new gears got broken again within a week of installation ?

[@tinderboxarts]

That is always going to be a possibility since the design remains flawed. All you can do is try and figure out why your particular door is getting stuck and then causing the gears to snap. One possibility is that you have the "sticky" seal problem, in which case you might be able to reach in there with solvents or your hand to remove/reduce the stickiness. The other possibility is that your door is getting jammed at the point of contact or beyond, which is what happened to the vehicle in my video. You want the door to move freely and not get stuck at the point of contact with the housing. Also, take a look at the actuator itself. If there is a cracked housing or other wear you might do well to replace the actuator too, which is not that expensive. When reinstalling the actuator and gears, try to get the door and gear located in the middle of the range to avoid undue stress during the calibration. If your gears snapped again, it was probably during a calibration by the computer or else your door got jammed up again. I'm afraid there is no ideal solution, this is just a poor design.

[@indyaudioguy]

You are amazing! When I move the smaller door out of the way, I find it to be extremely sticky, so I suspect that the blend door is in the same shape. I am thinking...I can't get in there to clean it. But I want to consider blowing in some light sand or something granular that will stick to all of that crap, and then prevent so much of the sticky surface area being available to re-stick the door. Any excess would maybe blow out through the ducts? Or I may be able to create an adapter hose for my vacuum so that I could get some reach in there to suck up most of the excess. Can you think of any way this would damage anything in the system, if I did it carefully, and did not use a ton of material? Any ideas on what material to use? Even ground coffee might work, it if would not degrade over time. Hmmm...I gonna think about this...but let me know your thoughts.

[@tinderboxarts]

Eh. I think you may be barking up the wrong tree. Probably a better approach would be to use a solvent to eliminate the stickiness. Possibilities include acetone, isopropyl alcohol, or ammonia. You could rig up a stick with a small ball of fabric on the end, perhaps held on with wire. Then dip the ball in the solvent and see if you can get it in there. The extra solvent will evaporate. Take care not to breathe the stuff. A spray bottle might work too. If that fails, you might try Dawn dish detergent mixed with just a small amount of water. Again, use a stick with something on the end to apply the mix. When the water evaporates it will leave a residue of detergent, but that can only help your effort. There's no easy answer, unfortunately.

[@TheD5bachman]

Hi - thanks for sharing your good work. I wanted to see if your jeep is still working since you fixed it? Mine is stuck on AC and it’s freezing in Michigan now. Trying to unstick the seal with a crowbar like you did.

[@tinderboxarts]

Yes, so far the repair has held. Sometimes I cringe when making an adjustment with the controls, but so far so good. I do think if your problem is that the seal has become sticky or gummy that you may need to do a little more work to try and remove the seal or make it less sticky. You might get it unstuck and then spray an evaporative solvent in there as best you can, or use a rag on a stick to wipe it down with solvent and make it less sticky. If your problem is like mine, where the flapper was just jammed too far in, then you can get it free and then pay close attention to the actuator installation. Worse case you could always get the door in the warm position and tape it in place until summer when it will be easier to work on.

[@grahamrothphotography]

Mine just went, same year too. Probably going to sell mine in spring, tired of fixing stuff lol. Still love the car

[@MikeJMcCormack]

First off… thank you, I really appreciate your walkthrough and it helped me get to the actuator…but I am still having an issue. My 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee started blowing room temp air on the passenger side…driver side is fine TG, but I’m in Florida and it’s too hot to have AC issues! So I checked the blend door actuator and yes…the plastic gear broke off at the stop…and even though I didn’t need it I decided to replace both the actuator motor and the gear with new OEM parts just to be done with it for under $50. So I believe I installed the parts correctly, it can only go in one-way right? Before I installed it tho, I manually tested the door first and it moves freely…I also tested the motor and let it dangle while I powered on the car…I tried holdingon to it to see if some resistance would stop it like the gear stop is supposed to do right? Wrong…that motor did not feel like it was going to stop, or am I missing something here? Shouldn’t it stop with some resistance? Anyway…I really had no other alternative other than to just install and test it …and so I did just that and I’m pretty sure I installed it correctly…it can only go in one way right? I slipped on the gear to the inner gear 1st…with the large tooth to the large gap…then adjusted the actuator/stem to line up and screwed it down. I’m wondering if this is the point where I didn’t line it up correctly somehow. So after installing the actuator/gear and removing battery power for 30 min to recalibrate…I cranked it up and all I can hear from the actuator was a loud clicking noise like the plastic gear just sheared off the stop again! I don’t think I need to pull it off again to figure that out as its exactly the same…cold air on the driver and room temp on the passenger side. I’m puzzled as to why when I crank up the heat on the passenger side that works with no problem…it just doesn’t get cold when I crank it down! I don’t wanna give up yet my bruthas…any help would be appreciated….thx again

[@tinderboxarts]

Yes, you are missing something! So, the way this design works is that the actuator motor turns the gear to move the blend door. When the door hits the end of it's possible travel--the stop--the actuator motor will naturally begin to struggle. That struggle draws extra power from the circuit. The computer is supposed to "see" that additional power being drawn and figure out that it's time to cut power completely because the blend door must be closed. What you did was install a new actuator and gear, which was likely not in exactly the same position as before. As a result, the actuator tried to keep pushing the door closed even after it was already closed. The computer did not pick that up quickly enough, and the cheap plastic gear broke while the motor continued to push against it. So your door didn't get stuck, but the gear snapped. There is no real fix for this, because we can't change the design or the parameters the computer uses to determine the stop. What you can do is minimize the potential for a problem. Try to get the actuator and gear installed in the middle of the range so that the actuator isn't immediately pushing against the stop. In other words, if the actuator and gear are installed close to where they were oriented originally and where the computer still thinks they are located, then the calibration is just a slight adjustment. If you are way off, then the computer will allow that actuator to push against the gear for too long, and the gear will likely snap.

[@MikeJMcCormack]

@@tinderboxarts Thank you! I considered what you just said, but needed to hear it. I just don't know how I can align the tooth/gap any differently...I see two possibilities...one I saw saw some guy take apart the actuator motor and move the gear to the correct/better position...sounds good, but alot can happen here. The 2nd...I saw another video where there were cheap little sensors behind the radio area that controlled the doors as well...I'm just not seeing anyone else talk about those. I swear...I'm never buying another mopar unless its a hemicuda!

[@tinderboxarts]

Well if your actuator is just way off from where it needs to be, you could use a couple of leads to a 9 volt battery or to a car battery to move the motor.

[@kenclark3543]

I had the same problem but on the drivers side. Great idea, don't know how you thought of it. Problem I had on the drivers side though was I couldn't fit a crow-bar in, just not enough room with sterring column and other controls there. I was able to do it with a framing hammer with straight ears. For $35 I put a new actuator motor in while I had everything pulled apart, hopefully it will last. My A/C has been nothing but problems, one thing after another.

[@tinderboxarts]

Yeah, it's funny what you come up with when you just start looking around your shop for an answer!

[@chetmyers7041]

These dual-temp systems are a nightmare. I believe the two zones battle against each other and wear the actuators out faster. Try to keep the two zones in SYNC mode. Let the wife bring a blanket along for her legs.

[@brookswho3986]

Great video

[@chetmyers7041]

CROWBAR is GENIUS! You have a powerful noggin!

[@elfpuncher]

Is there a 2nd flapper door on the drivers side or just one for both?

[@tinderboxarts]

There are four flappers, if memory serves. So, yes, the driver's side can fail too, and getting access on that side is even more fun.

[@fatmatt420420]

Have you run into any issues since doing this ? I tried the cut a hole method and was able to move it ever so slightly so it wouldn’t blow 10000 degrees anymore but was not able to dislodge it all the way

[@tinderboxarts]

So far it has worked fine. That said, there is always the possibility of further calamity. The door could get stuck again if the actuator moves too far, or if the seal gets sticky. Basically if the computer doesn't sense quickly enough the additional amperage when the door hits the stop, then it will keep pushing until the door gets stuck. It's just a dumb design. Hopefully when you cut your hole you didn't leave shavings behind or cause the door to bind. It's probably worth a shot for you to try my method and see if you can completely free the door. Take your time, find the center with your crowbar or similar tool, and just press down with some force until it moves.

[@samuelxrc]

Thank you!!! I was able to stick my fingers and jimmy the the gear back and forward and it just dropped.

[@Vhiadra]

You fixed my problem, thanks so much.

[@rckeefer]

How did you remove the air duct to access it

[@tinderboxarts]

The lower duct splits apart. You can pry it open with a screwdriver and take it out in two pieces.

[@dyllran]

Thank you

[@tinderboxarts]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@lesabre1528]

Thank you so much. mechanic wanted to take the dashboard out your a life saver.

[@apartmentexpertsdrh]

How do you get that vent piping out?

[@tinderboxarts]

You can split it in half to allow it to be removed more easily, it just snaps apart.

[@UneeqByNature]

I can't find any videos on how to remove the black plastic duct that goes into that opening.

[@UneeqByNature]

The top half of the duct doesn't come loose

[@tinderboxarts]

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing or not. The plastic duct which is sort of L-shaped and reaches down to the floorboards is in two halves. You can unsnap the halves for easier removal.

[@user-bq6bq7bu6v]

I am having the same issue With the Upper L shaped Duct It has tabs on the right side of duct I just took a straight blade screwdriver and used that to push the first 4 tabs to help split the duct in Half….

[@codyclem7146]

I had my driver side hear break. Replaced it and iv noticed it clicks at times like its stuck or jumping. And when i turn the heat full blast the passenger side it hotter then driver side. Any ideal what it may be?

[@tinderboxarts]

What you are hearing is the actuator continually trying to find the "stop" or limit of travel. This is the whole problem--the design is supposed to work by the computer recognizing when additional current is drawn due to the door hitting the limit of travel. But this doesn't happen fast enough or the computer doesn't see enough amperage, so the actuator continues to bang against the stop. Sooner or later the plastic gear breaks or the flapper door is pushed beyond the stop.

[@manuelamaya826]

Thanks.

[@paul.aragon]

Any tricks to take off that plastic duct to get access to put the prybar in?

[@tinderboxarts]

The curved duct which hangs down toward the floor is two-piece construction. If it won't pop off, you can use a flat blade screwdriver to carefully pry the two halves apart and then it should come out easier.

[@kfett86]

Helpfull tips!! Thanks!

[@beshoe25]

Right on bud, Thanks for the tip!!

[@georgecooper3944]

Ty sm

[@matthewcardon4866]

Will this method work on both driver and passenger sides?

[@tinderboxarts]

I have not opened up the driver side, and I hope I never need to! But if you can get a crowbar or tire iron in there it should work the same way.

[@matthewcardon4866]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, much appreciated!

[@abelcortezvargas5594]

Best video

[@davidgoss9971]

Okay so I got the same problem and another problem. Can you please tell me if yours has another actuator above this one. If you remove the vent there should two more actuators. The one above this one has a female end built into it. I can’t find this actuator anywhere.

[@tinderboxarts]

If you look at 2:15, in the upper part of the frame and a little toward the right, there is another actuator. Are you referring to that one? Mine was fine, but you should be able to find a replacement. Sometimes it's easiest just to remove the broken one and keep it next to you while you search the computer screen for a similar looking one. I would think all of them are available on amazon or ebay.

[@davidgoss9971]

@@tinderboxarts no not that one but I did have to replace that one as well. The one that I am working on is a 2014 overland addition. I’m not sure what year yours is but on this one there are 5 actuators and it’s the only one with like a female end. I got one and put it on. I wasn’t able to get anything in there small enough to pry down on it. I truly loved your video it did help me in a way. But now I gotta replace the main vent housing which consumes of the steering wheel being pulled out and the whole dash lol. Which is all but done. Again thank you for your video and your response. Have a good weekend sir.

[@tinderboxarts]

Ugh, I feel your pain--these are repairs which never should need to be done. I hope your repairs last!

[@timpowers9399]

This is truly a poor .. to much heat for the space problem! Heater cores under the dash has been done far to long!! And gluing foam around the area...didn't we learn this in the 50s!! OK done venting

[@johnt.7471]

The real cause of the blend door issue is the horrible glue thats used to glue up the styrofoam up along the edges of the blend door. REMOVE as much glue as you can with Acetone and a cloth by reaching in and continually wiping out as much as you can. Doing this will help prevent the actuator gear from breaking again. FYI, there are two blend doors, one on each side, not one.

[@tinderboxarts]

Well, there are actually two problems, with the same result: a jammed door. The stickiness is one issue and it seems to be more prevalent in warm or wet climates. The other issue is the door being forced completely past it's stop, which is what happened to the vehicle in the video.

[@nobe5philly]

I wrapped a piece of tie wire around the gear to make it stop soon and keep the door from getting stuck

[@timpowers9399]

i might be in trouble, i electronically turned the gear and now i spose I need to calibrate the drivers side actuator. anyone know how to do that without a scan tool? i have the climate control without the knobs. I also unstuck my blend door by heating up the car and then slowly turning the inner gear till it broke free of the glue goo.

[@tinderboxarts]

As far as I know, the computer will attempt to calibrate itself when the car is turned on again. The obvious problem with that is that your door may become stuck again in that process. I would suggest cleaning up all the stickiness you can, if that has been your issue, and then reinstalling the actuator in a middle position as best you can. When you restart the vehicle (or just turn the key on, probably) I think you'll find that the ECU will attempt to find the stops itself by repeatedly activating the actuator. Hopefully the door won't become stuck again as it does this.

[@timpowers9399]

@tinderboxarts thank you for the reply! I've been waiting for my ribs to heal before I reinstall .. since with ongoing muscular dystrophy I apparently break ribs doing this repair :) I believe I'll ad 12v to the gear so that it sits in the proper slot. I sure hope that works. Like you said hopefully it will learn its place in the world. Tks

[@CurryHitsman]

Can somebody please help me here? I was on sticking my door for the A. C. Heat on the passenger side like I was seeing in the video and I do believe that I have broke a fin off or a flap off of that inside. Will that affect anything with my vehicle as into heat and AC?

[@CurryHitsman]

Also I would like to know.Do I have to put any silicone or any type of solution for that white door there was some black gooey stuff.Does it need to be on there

[@angiehutch61]

my door is stuck on heat so I thought I had to pull on it to close, not push it back? Help, I did get it to move a little but not enough.

[@Parabolicserg]

i just fixed mine and even after the car has been off for some time the acturator keeps working, might be a pcm issue since i have a pcm issue on the high fan setting for the engine

[@tinderboxarts]

That's normal, if stupid, behavior. The computer is attempting to find the two end stops and it is programmed to do this even with the car off. Unfortunately it may continue to do this until it gets the data it wants, which may be long enough to snap off that plastic gear. The best thing you can do is try to get the gear lined up approximately where it was originally so that the computer doesn't get completely confused and it's just a minor difference. Needless to say, these programmers are not mechanics who work in the real world.

[@coreydbryant]

How did you remove the air duct?

[@tinderboxarts]

If you mean the one hanging down, it's a split design. Try prying the halves apart for easier access.

[@coreydbryant]

@@tinderboxarts thank you... I got it...

[@ErinCush-lh6nl]

How did you get the duct off?

[@tinderboxarts]

The short duct in the way of all this is made of two pieces. It is possible to give the duct a yank and pull it loose, but you may find it's easier to split the duct from the locking tabs, and then pull out each side individually. You can re-install it that way too.

[@ErinCush-lh6nl]

Will give it a shot! Thanks!

[@csmithreal]

I have this same issue on my 2011 JGC. I stopped for the day out of frustration, but I'm definitely going to give this a shot tomorrow morning. That gear is definitely stuck in my case. No play at all. I'm also worried about my blower relay because it stops and goes without any code. I changed the blower motor and resistor (in the same location as the actuator). Fingers crossed!

[@KD_SS_Life]

Did you notice there another blend door actuator sitting right above the one you remove check it out

[@tinderboxarts]

Yes, I know. It's a big mess under that dash!

[@chetmyers7041]

My memory has faded since I did this job three years ago, but there are actuators for Driver TEMP BLEND, Passenger TEMP/BLEND, outside air ON/OFF, WINDOW/FACE/FOOT selector. Go to a MOPAR parts site and find a schematic diagram for the entire underdash AC Box. Good luck. If your gears seem in the wrong position, then power the actuator forward or reverse with a 6 or 9 volt batttery. Good luck.

[@Jlozanovs]

Have the same issue, but on the drivers side. I have the gear removed and ductwork, but getting access to it is difficult. Anyone in Michigan that has has done this and would be willing to help? I would pay you for your time. Thanks.

[@mariorodriguez2713]

How in the hell do u remove the duct

[@tinderboxarts]

The lower duct is put together in two halves, so it's easier to remove by splitting the duct in half and pulling out each side.

[@jenniemason8680]

HELP-this got it unstuck... and now it is stuck again. This is my 18 year old sons car- trying to help him. Can someone suggest something? Please? Thank you! Keeps sticking.....

[@tinderboxarts]

There are different reasons for sticking, and some people report that the seal for the door becomes gooey and sticky, which makes the door get stuck when it comes in contact. Possibly that is your problem, rather than the door going past the stop. You may be able to stick your phone camera in there for a closer look via a picture or video. You can try spraying a solvent in there to lessen the stickiness. Some people drive a screw through the side of the housing in order to prevent the door from touching the seal. You lose some efficiency that way, but it's better than a stuck door.

[@PasTimez]

This method did work for me, however I broke the flapper door.

[@tinderboxarts]

You don't know your own strength!

[@vonkanon3091]

Doesn’t work for me. Rubber seal melted and won’t allow it to pivot

[@tinderboxarts]

Yeah, there are two causes of the stuck door, one being the door going past the stop and the other being the melted seal. I had the former problem. In your case you may need to either remove the seal remnants or get it to be unsticky, and then try to get it to move. If you can get your phone camera in there you may be able to get a better look at what's going on. You could try picking out what you can of the seal using long needle nose or a scraping tool or even your hands. A spray solvent like brake cleaner might help to make it less sticky, and the solvent will evaporate when you are done. All you can do is keep picking at it.

[@corylane3056]

How did u get the duck off

[@tinderboxarts]

The duct work splits in half. Try removing one half if you are having trouble with the whole thing.